Serenity's Little Sister
by Aoife129
Summary: A young girl joins Serenity's crew, but it's not for the first time. By revealing some of Mal's past and tying up some loose ends, she helps bind them into a tighter family.


Serenity's Little Sister

Disclaimer: All recognizable characters, planets, and Chinese phrases belong to Joss Whedon and the other amazing writers of this wrongfully short-lived series.

Author's note: The following list is just in case reader's would like to know what some of the phrases mean, or why I chose certain names.

Translations/Pronunciations:

Saoirse (Seer-sha)--means "freedom"

Deirfíur (drih-foor)--Gaelic--sister

Wo de tian, a--Chinese--God in heaven

Conas atá tú Athair--Gaelic--How are you Father

Ní sheasann sac folamh--Gaelic--An empty sack won't stand

Maeve (Mayv)--means "intoxicating"

an dtuigeann tú (ahn chig-ahnn too)--Gaelic--do you understand

Nian Qing De--Chinese--Young One

Iníon--Gaelic--daughter

Deartháir (drih-har)--Gaelic--brother

Niamh (Neev)--means "bright"

Nár laga Dia do lámh (nahr lahga jah doe lahv)--Gaelic--May God not weaken your hand

Béibhinn (Bay-vinn)--means "fair lady"

Is trom an t-ualach an leisce--Gaelic--Laziness is a heavy burden

Pog mo thón (pogue ma ho-in)--Gaelic--Kiss my ass

Bean mo chroi (bahn ma cree)--Gaelic--Woman of my heart

Chugainn--Gaelic--come on

Gurab amhlaidh duit (gurahb ahvla juit)--Gaelic--the same to you

A Thiarna! (ah hyahrna)--Gaelic--Oh Lord!

thón (ho-in)--Gaelic--ass

Cad é seo (cahd a show)--Gaelic--What is that--your basic "come again?"

Mo Chuisle (ma queeshla)--Gaelic--my blood, my pulse

**Going. Going Back**

She stepped out of the cantina's doorway and into the bright sunlight, squinting toward the ship. She took a long look, as though she were trying to read the name from far away or see the faces of the people coming out; but the truth was, she knew both, and she was actually deciding whether or not she was really going to go back. She'd been dreading this moment for just over two years. "This is stupid," she kept telling herself, "They're your family; they'll understand." But this was hard to convince herself of . . . she knew how he would react. "Just go," she said aloud. Step after painful step, she made her way toward the small transport ship.

She saw Kaylee sitting just outside at the end of the loading ramp. A few more steps, and Kaylee noticed her; she stopped twirling her parasol and looked at her, slightly confused. Kaylee knew this girl who stood before her in tall, dust-covered boots and a long brown coat; more accurately, she knew her face. The girl's once long blond hair was now shoulder-length and brown, and her eyes now looked distant and careworn. For a minute Kaylee told herself she was seeing things--this couldn't be the same girl--the girl she knew was dead. But the longer she looked, the more confident she became that it _was_ her. "Saoirse?" she ventured, standing and taking a step forward. The girl looked at her feet and nodded, then cautiously raised her head again. Kaylee dropped her parasol and moved to embrace her. They stood in a long, tight hug, and Saoirse almost cried with relief.

Malcolm made his way carefully through the marketplace, picking out items they'd need--who knew when they'd be able to dock again? Zoe followed slightly behind, grateful to feel the hard ground beneath her feet--if only for a few hours. When Mal had spent all the money he'd brought, he turned to Zoe. "Time to head back; I don't want to stay here longer'n we have to." Zoe nodded, and they started back in the direction of the ship.

"Come on, there's new people you gotta meet!" Kaylee was so excited she was nearly in tears herself. "We got a doctor and his little sister. We useda have a preacher ridin' with us but he left and then got killed when we were tryin' to get that message out about Miranda."

"I heard about that . . . wait, he let a _preacher_ on board?"

"Your accent's gone." Kaylee was surprised to hear Saoirse talking just like herself.

"Yeah, I changed it 'cause it kinda gave me away." Just then, Simon stepped down the loading ramp.

"Kaylee, River's asking for you; she wants to know when you're going to play with her."

"We're just on our way in . . . Simon, this is Saoirse; Saoirse, this is our doctor, Simon." Simon held out his hand to her.

"It's nice to meet you." He shook her hand, and she nodded. "I'll just go tell River you'll be in soon." He kissed Kaylee on the cheek and went back inside. Saoirse gave Kaylee an impressed look, and the two girls leaned on each other in a fit of giggles as they started into the ship.

River came out to the cargo bay to meet Kaylee. She looked at Saoirse curiously for a second, and then screwed up her face. "Full of gibberish."

"River, that's not polite," Simon chided, "I'm sorry, she. . ." Simon trailed off, not sure of what he should tell her.

"It's fine," Saoirse stopped him

"River's a reader," Kaylee offered.

"Oh, that makes sense then," Saoirse reasoned, "My mind thinks in Gaelic Deirfíur, you probably _wouldn't_ understand it." River simply continued to look at her in wonder and confusion. Just then, Mal and Zoe came up the loading ramp. Mal stopped in his tracks when Saoirse turned to face him.

"Wo de tian, a." He dropped the things he was carrying. After all these years, Saoirse still didn't understand the Chinese words he said, but the sentiment behind them was clear.

"Conas atá tú Athair?" Unlike her with his words, Mal understood Saoirse's Gaelic, but he found himself unable to reply. He should have been overjoyed to see her--she wasn't dead after all! But all he felt was anger; she hadn't trusted him; she'd run away. His eyes flashed as he shook his head at her and walked up the metal staircase to the cockpit. Kaylee put a hand on Saoirse's shoulder as she breathed a sigh of defeat.

"Well, _I'm_ glad to see you Little One," Zoe offered and enveloped her in a warm, motherly embrace.

Back in the kitchen, Jayne heard the commotion of everyone returning and went out to the landing to see. He froze and rubbed his eyes, not sure if what he was seeing was real. The stairs rattled and shook as he ran down them, making a terrible ruckus as though they might buckle beneath his weight. He made it to the ground alive and ran to scoop Saoirse up into a great big hug. For a minute, Saoirse thought he would never let her down, but finally, he set her back on her feet again. Neither said a word, but then, neither had to. The long nights they'd stayed awake talking had created a bond that none of the others understood. Mostly it was because Saoirse had been the one person to really listen to Jayne.

"When was the last time you ate?" Kaylee broke the silence.

"Yesterday," Saoirse admitted after having to think for a minute.

"You think we could have an early supper Zoe?"

"That sounds fine." Zoe lifted one of the crates she and Mal had brought back. "We'll be up as soon as we've got all this put away." The boys took their cue and began helping Zoe.

"We got rid of the bunk beds, but there's a free passenger dorm you can sleep in." Kaylee took Saoirse's hand and led her away from the group, still talking up a storm. River followed, entranced by the thoughts in Saoirse's head that she couldn't understand.

As Kaylee and Saoirse finished up dinner, the crew members started making their way to the table; Mal wasn't among them. "I'll go get him," Saoirse said, "We need to talk anyway . . . Just save us some food?" Zoe nodded as she sat down, and Saoirse turned in the direction of the cockpit.

He was sitting in the pilot's chair. For a moment she wondered where Wash was; then she remembered the wave she'd seen just before Serenity landed on Ariadne. Wash was gone: a fact she may never fully accept. She couldn't even imagine how Zoe must be feeling. She knew Mal had heard her, but he didn't turn around. "Where've you been all this time?"

She took a deep breath and a step inside the doorway. "All over--I mostly stayed on the move." As it was just the two of them, she allowed her accent to prevail in her speech.

"Why?" A note of sadness entered his voice, so faint that an outsider wouldn't have been able to detect it.

"To shake the Alliance."

"Gorramit Saoirse, we would've protected you." He finally turned and looked into his own eyes, or rather, the eyes he'd given her.

"I know." She knelt on the floor in front of him. "But it wasn't fair to the rest of you. I don't think I could handle it if someone on this crew died because of me. I figured the easiest way to get the Alliance off my tail was to die . . . So I did. It may not have been the best choice or the smartest, but I'm still alive because of it . . . you're still alive because of it."

"Why'd you come back at all?"

"I'm tired of hiding on my own when I know there are people I rather be hiding with. I'm tired of wondering whether or not I'm gonna get to eat this week." She lowered her eyes to the floor. "Ní sheasann sac folamh." It took everything Mal had not to scoop her up into his arms. He really did miss her, but he had to know she wasn't going to run again.

"Not only were you on my crew, Saoirse, you're my _daughter_. What made you think you weren't safe?"

"I'll never be_ safe_ Da. I can't change what Ma did. If I'd had any say, I probably would've stayed with Grandma Maeve. Then I might've been there when you came home, and this wouldn't be happening now. I'm sorry I didn't tell you; I should have; I know that now. But I saw an opportunity to get rid of the Alliance, and I took it. _You_ taught me to be resourceful like that; you taught me to survive." Her eyes begged his forgiveness.

"You come back, then you're back for good. You're gonna hafta trust me--trust that I'm gonna protect you, take care of you. And if you ever pull anything like that again, I'll kill you myself, an dtuigeann tú?" He stood and helped her to her feet. She nodded, and then he greeted her properly with a hug that was almost as big as Jayne's. "Come on, I'm hungry."

The rest of the crew was happy to see the two of them walk into the kitchen together. Saoirse took her old spot at Mal's right hand, and Zoe produced a plate of food for each of them. Saoirse looked down the table at everyone eating and smiled; it was nice to be with her family again.

**On My Crew**

Simon entered the kitchen; it was late and everyone else was asleep. He went for a mug in the cupboard. "Water's on the stove if you're after a cup of tea," said Saoirse, sitting on the counter behind him. Obviously he hadn't seen her because he whipped around, startled.

"I-I'm sorry; I didn't know anyone was awake."

"I don't sleep much--it's a hazard of having to watch your own back."

"I'll leave you alone." Simon didn't quite know how to act around Saoirse yet.

"Actually, I wouldn't mind the company if you want to stay. It's nice to be around people again."

He poured himself a cup of tea and took a seat at the table facing her. He thought he should try to make small talk, but had never been very good at it. "Kaylee told me you used to live here on Serenity?"

"Oh, Aye--Kaylee and me used to share a room."

"So then you already know everyone on the crew?"

"All 'cept Inara. From what Jayne tells me she came on just a few months after I left."

"And Kaylee said something about you dying?"

"Aye," she replied, amused. "It's kind of a long story though."

"Maybe it'll help me go back to sleep." He winced right after he said this. "Sorry, I didn't mean . . ."

"It's okay," she laughed again, and he was eased by the fact that she had a good sense of humor. "In that case. . . You probably already know that Da fought for the Independents."

"Yes, it's been made very clear, and it's helped out quite a bit."

"Well, my Ma did too, only not in the army; she distributed propaganda. But toward the end of the war she became somewhat of a radical. She fell in with what you might call a terrorist group. Her heart was in the right place, but she probably should have used her head a little more."

"What did they do?"

"Mostly bombs and fires on core worlds. After the capitol building on Osiris, we went into hiding: moving from world to world, avoiding Alliance."

"That was _your mom_?"

"Yeah, you know about it?"

"I lived on Osiris."

"Ah . . . Well, it got to the point where they stopped putting warrants for us out on the cortex--they built it into their training curriculum. Thing was, Ma had changed our names right after Da left for the war, so even when there were warrants, he didn't know it was us. He figured we'd been killed back on Shadow with Grandma Maeve when they burned the ranch."

"Wow, so then how did you end up here?"

"Ma died when I was twelve, and I made the mistake of thinking that the Alliance wouldn't be after me anymore. I was almost arrested three times before I made it back to Shadow. I dug through what was left of the ranch and ended up finding some old pictures--one was of Da holding me as a baby. So then I went looking for him. It took almost a year before I finally ran into them on Persephone."

"That's funny--they picked River and me up on Persephone."

"Makes sense," she reasoned, "Persephone's a tourist world--a lot of coming and going."

"You still haven't told me about how you died."

"I was getting to that. So, I had the Alliance after me somethin' fierce, and as good as this crew is at getting out of sticky situations, I felt responsible for it. They were always on the run because of me."

"I don't think it was _entirely_ your fault."

"Well, eventually we got into a really tough spot on Sheridan, where the chance to disappear presented itself. I got a hold of some byphodine, and took it before I really knew what I was doing. I finally shook the Alliance about a year ago after I changed my hair and accent. I don't know that I ever planned on coming back, though God knows I wanted to. Thinking back I should've sent post as soon as I could and had 'em meet me somewhere."

"Hindsight is 20/20."

"Ain't it just," she laughed. "So, you said they picked up you and River on Persephone? . . . you musta been desperate to fall in with this lot."

"Well, River's a psychic, and the government's after her because they want to turn her into a living weapon."

"Shiny." Saoirse didn't seem to need him to expand his story, and he was grateful to not have to explain his predicament.

"I was wondering," he ventured, "about what you said to River when we were back on Ariadne--about your mind thinking in Gaelic?"

"Aye. It's pretty much a dead language now--only a handful of Gaels made it off of Earth-That-Was, and there're even fewer who still speak it. It was my first language, so naturally that's how I think." She laughed, "I'm probably the only person in the 'verse doesn't know Chinese."

"You don't?"

"Nah. Never had a need for it--as long as I speak English, someone can always understand me."

"It was nice talking to you Saoirse, but I'd probably better get back to Kaylee." He stood and nodded to her politely.

"Sure; Codladh sámh."

"What?"

"Sleep well."

"Oh . . . thank you."

She smiled and watched after him as he put his mug in the sink and made his way down the hall to the room she and Kaylee once shared; Kaylee was happy, and that made her happy. She thought about going back down to the passenger dorm Kaylee had made up for her, but she knew she'd only sit up awake there too. Instead, she headed up to the cockpit, which was empty for the time being.

She walked up to the console where she'd spent countless hours with Wash--telling jokes and stories, playing dinosaurs, learning to fly. "Don't try to fly Serenity," he'd once told her, "a bird like this flies you. You just roll with the changes." She smiled and picked up the Stegosaurus sitting on a small diorama. She felt a presence behind her, but didn't need to turn around to know who it was.

"He may have died, but he'll always be here. This is _his_ seat Zoe, and no one will ever really fill it."

"I know," Zoe responded. She joined Saoirse at the console and put a hand on top of the pilot's chair. "But if you plan on staying this time, I know he'd want _you_ to keep it warm for him. There's a reason he taught you to fly, Nian Qing De. You and Kaylee were the daughters he never had." Saoirse looked at Zoe for a long moment.

"How far along are you?"

"What?" Saoirse had caught her off-guard.

"How far along are you?" she repeated.

"Around three months."

"Have you told anyone yet?"

"No."

"They'll have to know soon--you get too big, and Da'll have to rely on Jayne out on jobs."

"How did _you_ know?"

"I'm not sure. You seem a little different than before. And even though you hide emotion like Da, you seem to have made peace with Wash dying--like it's alright because he's not really gone--like he left a piece of himself with you."

"He would've done that even if I weren't pregnant Little One."

"I know, but it'd be different . . . Plus, I heard you retching earlier," she added laughing a little. Zoe laughed with her.

"So, are you gonna stay long enough to see it born then?"

"Zoe, I look forward to _watching_ that kid while you're out on jobs with Da."

"Good." She gave Saoirse a hug and went back to bed.

About four hours later, bodies were emerging from their bunks. One by one they found their way to the kitchen for something to eat. Saoirse looked in one of the cupboards, nearly disappearing inside to reach the very back, and surfaced with an old percolator. She brought out a small bag of coffee grounds and started the pot. "You never throw anything away, do you Da?"

"How else d'you explain why Jayne's still here?" Everyone laughed at Mal's comment but Jayne, who didn't get angry, he just didn't say anything. Saoirse walked up behind Jayne in his chair and put her arms around him. When the coffee was ready, Saoirse, Mal, Zoe, and Jayne each had some--Kaylee and Simon didn't like the stuff, and Simon judged that it would probably be better if River didn't have any. Everyone was eating standard protein bars when Inara finally decided to show her face.

"Mornin'," Mal offered.

"Good morning," she replied sweetly, gracefully moving through the room.

"Long night?"

"No longer than usual." She poured herself a cup of coffee from the percolator then stopped and looked at it curiously. "What is this?"

"Coffee, grown on Shadow--I salvaged as much as I could 'fore they ran me off the place," Saoirse explained.

"That's my girl," Mal smiled.

"Ni hao," said Inara.

"I'm sorry?"

"I said hello," Inara explained, a little confused.

"You still haven't learned Chinese, Iníon?" Mal asked.

"Still don't need to," Saoirse explained. "You must be Inara. Even if you weren't the only one onboard I hadn't met, I'd know you by Da's description."

"And what did he say about me?"

"That you're. . ." she paused, looked at Mal, and finished, "álainn."

"What does that mean?" Inara looked confused.

"You'll have to ask Da." She nodded toward Mal. "I'm Saoirse, by the way."

"It's nice to meet you. Where are you bound?"

"Here," Saoirse laughed.

"Saoirse's family," Kaylee explained, "She's Cap'n's daughter."

"Oh." Inara seemed surprised.

"There was life before the war." Saoirse rinsed her mug as she spoke and placed it in the sink; then she paused there for a minute. "As meager as it may have seemed." Mal joined her at the sink, put his mug in, laid a hand on Saoirse's shoulder, and kissed the top of her head. The crew abandoned the kitchen to dress and attend to various other tasks, setting their dishes next to the sink as they left.

After she cleaned the cups and returned them to their rightful homes, Saoirse stepped onto the metal walkway overlooking the cargo bay. Jayne lay on the bench press below, doing repetitions. "You should have a spotter for that." She stood at the rail looking down at him.

"Had one," he said, straining as he lifted the bar back into its cradle, "He died."

"Da won't do it for you? Or Simon maybe?"

"Never asked 'em."

"How's your family doin' back home?"

"Decent, near as I can tell."

"How 'bout Matty?"

"He's still sick." She made her way carefully down the stairs to meet him, and sat down next to the bench. He sat up and looked at her. "I'm really glad you're back Little One." She knew he meant more than just the words he said. Jayne was often misunderstood because people only listened to his words; he was a lot smarter and more sensitive than most recognized. She stood up and sat back down next to him.

"Someone has to give a gorram about you, eh?" she joked. He laughed and put an arm around her. "Eww; you're all sweaty; go wash off."

**Truthfully, That's a Fine Meal**

Saoirse reached up to pull enough bowls for everyone down out of the cupboard. "All I'm saying is: it sounds like we could use a new low burn modulator; she was rattling somethin' awful when I set her down--like she didn't wanna slow at all."

"It is a little worn, Cap." Kaylee pulled out silverware for everyone, and then set it and the basket of fresh soda bread on the table.

"Worn maybe, blown--not so much. We need to make that one last as long as we can--ain't no extra money to be throwin' around like that."

"It's possible you're forgetting who raised me," Saoirse put in, "I've been here before--done a few decent jobs--I got a few good connections here, and _I_ know where we can get a good one for less than fifty. Kaylee and me can go out tomorrow and be back in two hours if need be; though I'd rather take my time with this guy."

"Alright." Mal still looked skeptical--he'd never been to Torrin before. "But I rather you take Jayne or me with you."

"Kaylee'd be better--this guy's not dangerous, but he's more willing to deal with young girls than grown men--he's not the biggest fella, and you or Jayne might scare him."

Following the scents wafting through the ship, the rest of the crew found their way to the kitchen for supper. "Smells good girls," Zoe commented.

"Old family recipe," laughed Saoirse.

"What is it?" asked Jayne, suspiciously.

"It's good Jayne, sit down." Saoirse patted him on the back, and he sat as she placed a full, steaming bowl in front of him. He looked at her for a minute; then he picked up his spoon and started eating.

"Mmm."

"I told you." She and Kaylee continued filling bowls for everyone, and finally sat down themselves.

"This is really good," Inara offered, "What's in it?"

"First we cooked some jerky down to soften it, then added a can of potatoes, a can of carrots, a can of green beans, and some thinned out beef gravy."

"Your basic hodgepodge," Zoe put in, "Learning to mix leftovers was big during the war. We found we could make some pretty decent meals if we combined our efforts." She smiled at Mal, who nodded in return.

"But the soda bread really _is_ an old family recipe-Grandma Maeve taught Ma, who taught me. Which reminds me . . ." She reached into the pocket on her sleeve, brought out a flask, and handed it to Mal. "What do you think?" Mal gave her a sideways look and took a swig, uncertain of what he was drinking. He coughed and sputtered as the liquid ran down his throat; he should have known she find a way to make this. The rest of the crew looked on in confusion. "It's uisce beatha," Saoirse tried to explain, "I used Kaylee's system."

"Wow Iníon, it's been a long time since I've had potato whiskey." He took another swig, this time prepared for how to drink it. "It's not bad." He passed the flask to Zoe, who also swallowed a mouthful.

"Fairly decent, Little One." She passed it to Jayne.

"That's better'n what I got stashed." He capped it and handed it to Inara to pass back to Saoirse.

"What did you call it?" Inara asked, curious.

"Uisce beatha . . . water of life." Inara uncapped it again and moved to take a drink. "Uh, you may not be ready for it Inara."

"Nonsense."

"Then just don't let it touch your gums," warned Mal. She looked at him like he was being ridiculous then lifted the flask to her lips.

"Wo de ma!" she yelled, "What _is_ that?!"

"The finest rocket engine fuel passed down by the hands at the 'Ray of Light Corral,'" Saoirse laughed. Everyone else laughed as Inara replaced the cap and passed the flask back down to Saoirse.

"How did you make it?" Inara was curious why anyone would drink that voluntarily.

"Recipe's a secret, but Kaylee's distilling system gave it the slightly metallic taste."

After dinner the group dispersed; they wouldn't leave the ship until morning. Saoirse and Jayne sat together in the ship's lounge. "Tell me a story," Saoirse requested. This was how their lengthy conversations usually started. The ritual had begun after Saoirse was shot while out on a job with Jayne and Mal. Stepping away for a quick drink, Jayne hadn't been watching her--as Mal had asked him to--when she was caught up in the middle of an argument between two drunkards; and one of them had pulled a gun. She hadn't screamed, she'd simply stumbled back to Jayne and grabbed his arm. Because the wound was in her abdomen, and Zoe had had to do the stitches, she'd been bedridden for nearly two weeks. And Jayne had come to visit her almost everyday.

"You know I ain't never been good with words." He gave his usual response.

"Never stopped you before, Deartháir."

He gave her one of his half-smiles; he didn't give those out often. "D'I ever tell you about Canton?"

"Three times," she giggled.

"How 'bout the time I was trackin' that gang for Dorley McKinney cuz they stole his daughter?"

"That's a new one." He immediately launched into the story. Saoirse loved the way he wove his tales; he remembered every detail like it was two days ago, and gestured wildly. He had never minded pouring out his life to Saoirse because she had always been willing to listen.

Unnoticed in the other room, Inara listened to this exchange, dumbfounded. She'd never heard Jayne speak that many words that readily as long as she'd known him. She headed back toward her shuttle and ran into Mal. "Did you know Jayne _talks_?"

"He doesn't . . . 'cept to Saoirse," he said, matter-of-factly. "Never did wonder about it much."

"That girl seems to have an unnatural effect on everyone around her--even me; I can't explain it, but it's as if I've always known her."

"That's why I liked takin' her on jobs--she had a way of making the buyers trust us more. You should try talkin' to her though; you two are alike, more'n a little." As he turned to leave he gave her one of the looks she dreaded; she'd never tell anyone, but they made stomach jump and her heart skip. He'd told her once that she "spun him about." But he made her melt. She took a deep breath and started toward her shuttle again.

**Couldn't See a One, Pollution's So Thick**

Everyone was up early the next morning. Simon, River and Inara would stay behind while Mal, Zoe and Jayne found the buyer of their most recent cargo. Kaylee's and Saoirse's job was to seek out a new modulator. Saoirse knew her way around immediately, leading Kaylee through the streets that were being invaded by the cloud-covered sky. "This is where Wash came from," Saoirse mentioned.

"No kidding?"

"Yeah--and it was a great place to hide out for a little while. People don't talk much if they don't know you, but they're nice enough."

"Who is it we're tryin' to find?"

"His name is Jory Sincter; he runs a scrap yard just up here. He gave me work and a place to sleep for a month or so. Told me if I ever made it back here, I had to come see him, so it works out perfect for us." They turned another corner and found themselves in front of a tall metal chain link fence. A dog--obviously a mutt--ran up to the gate and barked loudly, warning intruders to keep their distance. "Raimy, it's me," Saoirse cooed. The dog immediately ceased her barking and started whining, trying to lick Saoirse's hands through the fence. "Where's your dad?"

"Who's that?" Jory yelled from somewhere in the mist beyond the gate.

"Seems I found my way back for a visit after all."

"Niamh Connor, as I live and breath!" A curious looking, short, bald man stepped forward so they could see him.

"Niamh?" Kaylee was confused.

"That's the name I went by before I found Da," She whispered quickly. "Hey Jory, how've you been?"

"Not good enough to brag, not bad enough to complain." He opened the gate and gave her a hug.

"Glad to hear it," Saoirse returned. "This is my friend Kaylee; Kaylee, this is Jory."

"Nice to meet you," offered Kaylee.

"Same to you Sweetheart," he said, warmly. "Well, are you girls gonna come in, or stand out in the fog all day?" They answered him by stepping through the gate and following him back to his small hut after he'd latched it behind them. He cleared off three chairs, and each took a seat.

Jory knew better than to ask Saoirse where she'd been. "You been findin' work?"

"Oh yeah--I think I found a permanent employer this time."

"Well shoot, Child, you know you always got a permanent job here."

"I know Jory, and someday I may just take you up on that." They smiled at each other, both knowing full well that it wouldn't happen.

"So why'd you really come back Darlin'?"

"The boat we're ridin' needs a new low burn modulator, and we just happened to land here. And I thought to myself, 'how fortuitous-the part dies in the place that's got the best parts dealer in the 'verse.'"

"That's a big word Little One," he laughed. "What's the model?"

"Firefly."

"Really?" He was impressed. "Not many of those still in the air."

"Not many people willin' to give 'em the love they need to keep 'em there."

"True enough Honey, true enough."

"So you think you can help us?"

"Look who you're asking," he gloated. He stood and helped each of the girls to her feet. Then he led them out into the foggy yard. Kaylee stayed close-if she'd been here by herself she would have gotten lost. Jory knew exactly where the part was, and when they reached the right pile, he pulled it easily out of what looked like a jumbled mess. "Organized chaos," he'd once described it to Saoirse.

"This is almost brand new," Saoirse noticed.

"Yeah, Fortune must be on your side Treasure, cuz I just had a Firefly-sized transport come in last week. Dropped right out of the sky-landed in Buck Forthren's field over there."

"How's old Buck farin'?"

"Oh, much the same as the rest of us." Much of Saoirse's ability to read between people's words had come from living here and talking to Jory.

"How much you want for this?" She turned the attention back to the part in her hand.

"What d'you think it's worth?"

"I brought fifty with me-I'd be willing to part with all of it-just cuz it's you."

"Aiya Cupcake, you just give me thirty-five, and we'll call it a deal; business has been pretty good lately."

"You sure?" She'd known he would give her a discount, but she'd meant what she'd said about the money.

"Take it 'n git, 'fore I change my mind," he kidded. She gave Jory the right amount and handed the part to Kaylee before giving him a big hug.

"Thank you Jory; I really appreciate this."

"It's no problem Love; just promise me you'll come back and visit at least once more 'fore I die."

"You know I will."

"And don't forget to say 'bye to Raimy." He kissed her on the cheek. "Godspeed Baby."

"Nár laga Dia do lámh." Then Saoirse and Kaylee turned and found their way back to the gate. Saoirse patted and kissed Raimy before pushing through the fence, which locked again as it latched behind them. Saoirse didn't look back.

**And It's My Home. I'm Not Going Anywhere**

Mal took three steps--three steps that brought him to the top of the hill--three steps that let him see the whole valley below. Smoke rose out of the ashes, chunks of charred debris still burning here and there. Serenity Valley . . . the Independents' last stand . . . but wait--this wasn't Serenity--this was Sunrise Valley--this was home. He took off, dropping his duffel. "Mama! Béibhinn! Mama! Oh God--Saoirse! Saoirse Baby where are you?!" He sifted through the rubble frantically, but he didn't find any of them. Giving up, he dropped to his knees in tears, and then sat back on his heels.

"We're right here Da." He whipped around to see Saoirse running to him from her mother, her little legs pumping as hard as they could. He breathed deeply, relieved that they were safe. She ran straight into his arms. He bent to kiss her head and realized he was on his feet. The tiny blond head he'd seen running to him was actually auburn and larger than he'd thought. He looked up toward his wife; her dark hair glinting in the failing light. She closed the gap between herself and her family. Mal closed his eyes and kissed her; when he opened them it was Inara's face that he cupped in his hands.

He bolted upright, breathing hard. He shook his head and wiped the sleep from his eyes. Then he noticed the figure asleep on a mat on his floor. It had been a long time since Saoirse had had a nightmare; though there had once been a time when she had regularly slept where she now lay.

The floor was cold on his bare feet as he stood. He pulled his blanket off his bed, lay down on the sleeping mat next to his daughter, and draped the blanket across them both.

The next evening, Kaylee and Saoirse sat in the lounge painting each other's toenails. River sat waiting patiently nearby. "You done yet? That ruttin' stinks!" Jayne was at the kitchen table cleaning Vera.

"Keep your pants on Jayne," Kaylee returned.

"We could paint yours next if you want?" Saoirse offered, joking. Jayne simply got up and left; he didn't want to say anything he didn't mean.

"Girls everywhere, but not a one I can do more'n look at," he mumbled on his way out. He passed Inara on his way out but didn't even stop to look at her. Inara sat down next to Saoirse just as she and Kaylee were finishing.

"Okay River; your turn," Kaylee said, turning to face River. River put a foot up on Kaylee's lap, and Inara began running a brush through Saoirse's hair.

"Purple . . . color of royalty . . . and bruises," River mused to herself as Kaylee shook the bottle to mix it.

"And a sunset on Valerion if you ever get the chance to stop there," Saoirse added.

"You have beautiful hair Saoirse."

"You should have seen it before," Kaylee put in, "It used to be so long she could sit on it."

"Why did you cut it?" Inara asked.

"Well besides needing to change it to disappear, it was hard to take care of on the run."

"Do you ever think you'll let it get that long again?"

"I don't know . . . maybe."

Mal walked in to see the girls chattering away, but he stopped in the entrance to the kitchen. The fact that they didn't stop what they were doing at all, told him they hadn't seen him. He watched from the shadows of the doorway. His eyes came to rest on Inara playing with Saoirse's hair; his mind wandered back to his dream the night before, and he marvelled at just how natural Saoirse and Inara seemed to interact . . . almost as if Inara could have been Saoirse's mother.

Mal shook the dream out of his head and started into the room. "We should be takin' off soon . . . that is if our pilot can tear herself away for ten minutes to get us off the ground." He was not-so-subtly hinting at Saoirse, but she didn't care.

"You might as well sit down Athair, we're not going anywhere 'til sunrise."

"And why not?"

"You wanna try lifting off with just the city light, be my guest."

"Is trom an t-ualach an leisce." He was trying to bait her into feeling bad and moving, but it wouldn't work.

"Pog mo thón."

"Bean mo chroi," he laughed, shaking his head. "Fine, have it your way." He sat down with the girls, put his feet up on the coffee table and hooked his thumbs in his suspenders. "So, what are we doing tonight?"

"Relaxing . . . finally," Kaylee answered.

"How come Zoe's not here with the rest of you?"

"She's not feeling too good," Saoirse replied, "You may wanna go ask her why . . . she's got somethin' she wants to tell you." Mal was confused. He stood up, went down the hall to Zoe's bunk and pushed the comlink.

"Zoe, you got a minute?"

"Yes Sir," came the answer through the speaker, "I'll be right up."

"Don't worry about it, I'll come down."

"Alright." She pushed the button that opened the hatch, and he climbed down the ladder. "What's on your mind Sir?"

"Saoirse says you're a bit under the weather."

"Wouldn't be far from the truth." She sat down, feeling another wave of dizziness. She was coming to the end of the "morning" sickness phase in her pregnancy; even though it was far from morning here, the traveling messed with her body's sense of time.

"What's goin' on Zoe?"

"I'm pregnant Sir."

"Well, I'll be . . . That's great Zoe" He was surprised but happy for her; there was just one thing that worried him. "So, I suppose you'll be wantin' to settle somewhere when it's born?"

"Don't worry Sir; I'm not goin' anywhere . . . this baby's stayin' here, long as you'll have it."

He smiled, "Absolutely--only right--this is your home, it was Wash's home, so it'll have a home here too . . . Anything you need you let me know."

"Thank you Sir, but we do still have a little while."

"Shiny. Well, I'm gonna head back up . . . maybe join us later if you feel like it."

"We'll see Sir."

"Okay." He climbed back up the ladder and made his way down the hall to rejoin the girls. Simon had appeared and was now sitting with his arm around Kaylee, trying to tell a funny story. Before he could sit down, Saoirse jumped up and grabbed his hand, pulling him out of earshot of the others. "What?"

"Did she tell you?"

"Did who tell me what?"

"Zoe."

"You mean did Zoe tell me she's having a baby? Yes. Which means I might need you for a few jobs here soon."

"Shiny," she laughed. "Chugainn." She still had a hold of his hand and pulled him back to the group, leading him to sit down next to Inara on the couch. She then plopped herself down on his other side. Simon continued with his story, but was interrupted by River, who quietly stood up and started walking around like she was listening to something. She stopped, facing the group, and a worried look crossed her face before she turned and ran down towards her room.

"River?" Simon looked after her with concern.

"Go," Kaylee bade him, "You can finish later." Simon jumped up and went to find her. Kaylee sat for a minute with a worried look on her face, then stood. "I'm gonna go see if they're okay." Everyone else nodded at her as she left.

"Well, I'm gonna hit the sack," Mal said, standing. "You should think about doin' the same here soon Iníon."

"Soon," Saoirse promised. "Codladh sámh."

"Gurab amhlaidh duit," he returned, kissing his daughter on the cheek. " 'Night Inara." He nodded toward her, a slightly sly look on his face--a look he wouldn't have dared if anyone else had been in the room.

"Good night," she returned, quickly pulling her eyes away from his glance. But her face betrayed her as he made his way out of the room--at least to Saoirse it did.

"Why did you come back Inara?" Saoirse asked when he was gone.

"I don't really know," Inara sighed whimsically, "I guess I just missed it here."

"When's the last time you contracted?"

"What?" Inara was surprised.

"How long have you known you love him?"

"I . . . I don't know what you . . ."

"It's okay Inara," Saoirse interrupted. "I just don't want to see him get his heart broken again."

"Again?"

"Yes, again." Saoirse looked around to make sure no one else was there. "He wouldn't tell anyone, but when he came home from the war and thought Ma and I were dead, it almost destroyed him. Why do you think he went looking for Zoe?"

"He didn't plan on marrying Zoe did he?"

"No," Saoirse laughed a little, "No, he just needed to be around someone that he trusted. Seriously though, how long have you been in love with him?" Inara just looked at her, unable to speak. "It's okay. I won't say anything before you do. Though, it may help you to know that he loves you."

"He does?" Inara quickly placed a hand over her mouth, and Saoirse raised an eyebrow--she'd given herself away and she knew it. She took a deep breath and conceded. "It's why I left."

"And why haven't you contracted with anyone since you got back?"

"I'm out of practice--I've been teaching for months--I'm just trying to slowly get back into it."

"Or you're not getting back into it at all." Saoirse wasn't accusing, but Inara seemed a little ashamed. Saoirse stood up and kissed Inara on the cheek. "I really like you Inara . . . and also, 'álainn' means 'beautiful.'" She left the startled Inara and headed down the hall with a big smile on her face. Instead of going to her own room, she pushed open the hatch to her father's room and climbed down the ladder. He wasn't asleep yet, but he had taken off his boots and suspenders, and she definitely surprised him. "A Thiarna! Where'd you come from?"

"You'd know better'n me," she smarted back. "But I think you'd better go talk to Inara, 'fore she rights her head and goes back to her shuttle."

"What?"

"Get your thón up to the lounge _now_."

"You gonna be here when I get back?"

"Things go the way I'm hopin', you won't _be_ back tonight."

"Cad é seo?"

"Just go!" She pushed him toward the ladder.

"Alright." He climbed out of the room and into the hallway, just in time to see Inara getting up from the couch. "Inara," he softly called to get her attention. She turned to face him. "Can we talk for a minute?"

"About what?" She swallowed hard. He didn't answer he with words; he simply walked up to her and kissed her.

From the hatch to Mal's room, Saoirse smiled and snuck back down and unrolled her sleeping mat. After all this time, he'd still kept it. She pulled an extra blanket out from under the bed and curled up to sleep.

Up in the lounge, Inara pulled away. "Mal, we can't . . ."

"No," Mal interrupted, "Inara, I'm done with this game. Way I see it you got two choices: you can leave Serenity for good, or you can stop lyin' to yourself and marry me."

"What?" She was on the edge of being overwhelmed.

"Marry me.

"Mal, no. I can't get married; my job . . ."

"Damn your job Inara--we get by just fine." Mal was trying to keep his voice down, but it was getting harder by the second.

"It's my_ life_ Mal."

"No Inara, it's your _job_. It's not who you _are_, and you don't have to do it. Now I know this life ain't much, but you'll have all you'll need--I promise you that. " He backed off a little because her eyes begged him to, and he couldn't bring himself to push her any farther. "Just think it over." He took a few steps backward, still facing her and added, "Please?" He waited only a moment more, and then, accepting his defeat, turned to go back to his room.

"Wait." He spun back around at the sound of her voice.

**She'll Fly True**

Saoirse sat down in the pilot's seat. She was the only one awake, and she liked it that way--it was just her and Serenity, having some quality sister time. She flicked the three initiation switches, and began to power up. Then ever so slightly, she started lifting off the ground. "She's not an egg, but she's not a rock either," she heard Wash say in her mind, "And if you treat her like an egg, she'll be good to you." Because of the smog, she went straight up toward the sky. The outside lights did no good in the thick cloud cover, so she didn't even turn them on--no sense in wasting power. She breathed a deep sigh as Serenity eased up through the hazy barrier and into the endless black. Saoirse never tired of seeing all stars and worlds shining through the darkness like little beacons, pointing her to the next stop, the next job, the next adventure. She punched the coordinates for Selene, the site of their next deal, into the nav computer, then got up and headed into the kitchen for something to eat. Apparently everyone had woken while she was in the cockpit, so she joined them for breakfast. She greeted everyone with a "Good morning," then kissed Jayne, then her father, then Inara and took her seat. Inara was surprised, but Saoirse just smiled knowingly across the table at her.

"So were you planning on gettin' us off this rock sometime in the near future Iníon?" Mal asked Saoirse.

"Wow, I'm that good?" Saoirse laughed.

"You mean to tell me we're already in the air?"

"Aye." She seemed very pleased with herself.

"Huh . . . not bad, Mo Chuisle."

"I learned from the best," Saoirse said with a quick glance toward Zoe. Mal looked down the table at his family, smiled at his daughter, and reached for Inara's hand.


End file.
